Time's Up
by darveyscactus
Summary: Harvey is asked to represent an old friend and former employee in a sexual harassment case; Donna presents a compelling argument and convinces him to drop the case.


**Author's note - this is a topic I've wanted to write about for awhile now, and finally found the inspiration for a full storyline. This is something I'd ****_love _****to see on the show - not just because Sarah would knock it out of the park acting it, but because its a conversation we need to be having - it's timely and relevant and I think it would resonate.**

* * *

They were getting ready to head out the door together for another day at the office. She was finishing up the last sips of her coffee as he packed up files he'd been working through the night before. It'd been nearly six months, and this - casual mornings and evenings spent with her - was his new normal, but every so often he still found himself blown away by it all. The fact that she, his best friend and confidant turned lover and partner, had chosen him to be the one she shared everything with still made him teary if he thought about it for too long.

"Do you have time for lunch today?" she asked casually as she moved towards him to adjust his tie, "it's been a while since we've left the office during the day."

"I can't today," he replied as she pouted in response to his answer, which made him crack a smile. "Do you remember Connor Lumsden? He's in town and asked me to get lunch."

"Unfortunately," Donna rolled her eyes at the mention of his name, "what does he want?"

Her unenthusiastic reaction at the mention of his name made Harvey pause. He remembered now that when Connor was working at the firm Donna made no attempt to hide her dislike of the man, but what he'd done to cause such contempt, Harvey was never able to figure out.

"He asked me to represent him on a sexual harassment case a couple junior partners at his firm in Boston filed against him," Harvey explained as he guided her out of the apartment, "he says it's a bullshit case and that they're using it to try and get rid of him since one of the name partners was just let go after a similar case was filed against him."

Harvey continued to explain the details of Connor's case as they made their way to the elevator and outside into Ray's waiting car. She didn't say much, offering the occasional nod and 'mhmm" to let him know she was still listening, while trying to get rid of the knot forming in her stomach. As the car sped towards the firm, she pulled out her phone, silently apologizing to her best friend for what would likely be an early wake up.

_Hey Rach, I know it's early but call me when you get a chance today. Need to talk to you!_

* * *

It was nearing lunchtime and just as she was about to ask Katrina if she wanted to go across the street and grab a salad, she heard her phone start to vibrate against the surface of her desk. Knowing it was probably Rachel, she found it and quickly answered.

"Rach, hi!," she breathed, happy to finally be able to talk about what had been weighing on her for most of the morning.

"What's up?" her best friend asked, "your message sounded serious," she said, unable to hide the slight tone of concern rising in her voice.

"Do you remember Connor Lumsden?"

"Unfortunately," Rachel replied, her voice dry, which made Donna laugh.

"That's exactly what I said to Harvey this morning when he asked me the same question," Donna said, explaining her reaction.

"Why did he ask you that?" Rachel pried carefully.

"He asked Harvey to defend him on a sexual harassment case people at his firm filed against him."

"Donna," Rachel breathed, sitting back in her chair and taking in her words, "you know he can't do that."

"I know Rachel," she said, "but when has it ever gone well when I tell him which cases he can and cannot take?" she asked, her voice exasperated.

"This is different," Rachel insisted.

"I know," Donna admitted with a sigh, "I just -

"You need to tell him," Rachel repeated, pausing for a second and hoping that her words would resonate, "and you should tell him why."

"I know you're right, Rachel," she said, sounding defeated.

"He's going to believe you," Rachel stressed, wanting to make sure Donna had no doubt in her mind as to what Harvey's reaction would be, "and you can tell him about me, too. Hell, I'll even call him and tell him myself if you want."

"Thanks Rachel," she said with a sad smile, wishing, not for the first time, that her best friend was by her side to help her navigate a difficult situation, "love you."

"Love you too," she replied before ending the call.

* * *

It was late by the time Harvey arrived home, having decided to stay at the office to wrap up some details on a settlement set to be signed the following day. He walked through the door and found Donna curled up on his couch, laptop perched on her lap and no doubt scrolling through apartment and townhouse listings. They'd decided to officially move in together weeks ago, but hadn't been able to decide on anything else, engaging in robust debates on everything from type of home to location to interior design. He knew that her preferences would win out in the end, but he wouldn't be a lawyer if he didn't challenge her a little bit.

"There's Thai on the counter," she said, turning her head and smiling at him as he approached, giving her a quick kiss in greeting before moving into the kitchen and helping himself to the takeout.

"And don't think I didn't see that little eye roll Mister," she said with a laugh, "you ditch me for lunch, I get to choose dinner - those are the rules, she quipped.

"Besides," she continued as he sat down on the couch beside her, moving her laptop to the coffee table before picking up her legs and draping them across his lap, "you can't lie to me - I know you love it."

"I love _you_," he said with a smile as he patted her shins, which made her laugh.

"That is not the same thing," she deadpanned.

They sat in silence for several minutes as he ate, and Donna worked up the courage to bring up what she'd talked to Rachel about earlier in the day.

"So," she started, taking a deep breath, "how was your lunch with Connor?" she asked.

"It was nice actually," he said, "it was good to catch up with him, and his case seems straightforward enough," he finished with a shrug.

"Harvey, I need you to drop the case," she said, her serious tone of voice and facial expression catching him off guard.

"Why would I do that Donna?," his confusion evident as he tried not to get frustrated with her, "I just told you the case was a slam dunk, and I'm not going to leave my friend high and dry," he explained.

"Why do you think it's such a slam dunk?," she asked, still not quite sure how to say what needed to be said.

"Connor wants to undermine their credibility, and he thinks it'll be easy to do," he explained.

"Hmm," Donna sighed, leaning back into the couch.

Harvey knew that Donna was getting frustrated by the conversation. He could tell by her body language that something about either the case or Connor himself was bothering her, and he was surprised that she wasn't being forthcoming. Usually, she had no problem telling him exactly how she felt about his cases and the people involved.

"Donna," he said, his voice soft hoping it would encourage her to share what was bothering her, "you _know _you can talk to me."

"Look," she said with a sigh, "I've never met the women involved in this case, but in my experience, women _don't _lie about things like this. And -," she paused and took a deep breath, "Since Connor has done this before, I'm inclined to think he'd do it again," she finished, shifting her gaze down to her hands, not quite ready to look at him yet.

It took several seconds, but Harvey let out a breath as the meaning of her words sunk in. Donna was fidgeting with her hands in her lap and he knew she was waiting for him to say something, to connect the dots and understand what she meant without explicitly having to say it.

"Donna," he started slowly, "if he hurt you, I swear -"

"No, nothing like that," she explained, finally looking up at him and letting out a small laugh, "but it was just so _annoying_, and it made me feel awful."

"What did he do?," he asked carefully, shifting their positions on the couch so she was sitting beside him, wrapping his arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer to him.

"It was a whole bunch of small things, but it went on for years. He would look straight at my chest instead of my face whenever he would stop outside your office. He'd touch my hands, and arms, and back and waist every chance he got," she paused, letting her words sink in.

"Donna, I'm sorry," he exhaled, turning his head to place a kiss on her temple.

"And," she continued with a sigh, " he would always tell me that if I moved to his desk, I'd be more than just his secretary. He did the same sort of thing to Rachel too," she continued, "and sometimes when the two of us would go out for drinks, he'd just _appear - _he'd insert himself in our conversation and offer to buy us drink after drink, and he wouldn't take no for an answer. We always accepted the drinks to shut him up, and then we went to the bathroom and dumped them down the sink."

As she finished speaking, she turned to face him, wanting to study his facial expression. She could tell the news wasn't sitting well with him - his tense jaw and pursed lips giving that much away. He was staring straight ahead and his fingers were tapping absentmindedly against his thigh and she knew he was thinking hard about what he wanted to say next.

After a few more seconds, he turned to her, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear before speaking. "I'll drop the case Donna," he said with sincerity.

"Thank you, Harvey," she said, moving her hand to hold his.

"But -" he started, looking at her again, "why didn't you tell me about this before?"

Donna sighed, shifting her gaze down to their intertwined hands resting on his knee. "I was embarrassed, I think," she explained, "Usually, I have no problem putting people in their place, but he took what I saying as encouragement, like I was flirting back with him or something - and that made it worse. So eventually, I just stopped responding and just let it happen, knowing each time that'd it'd be over soon enough. And when I found out it was happening to Rachel too, we helped each other deal with it," she finished with a sigh.

Before speaking again, Harvey gave her hand a squeeze and pulled her in closer to his side, "Well, thank you for telling me now," he said as he placed a kiss to the top of her head.

* * *

It was mid-afternoon the following day and Donna was consumed by a financial report she was working on for Louis. She heard a faint knocking on the glass, and looked up to find Katrina standing in the doorframe. She gave her friend a nod, and she entered the office, taking a seat in one of the chairs across from the desk.

"Do you have any idea why Connor Lumsden is in Harvey's office right now?" Katrina asked.

Donna sighed and rolled her eyes, she'd forgotten he had a meeting scheduled with Harvey. She knew Harvey would be telling him he's dropping the case, but the thought of him walking the halls of the firm, even for just an afternoon, made her skin crawl.

"Oh," she started to explain, "he asked Harvey to take on a case for him, but he's dropping it."

"Good," Katrina said with a huff, "the man's an asshole," she deadpanned.

Donna looked at her, and the deflated expression on her face made her wonder if she and Rachel weren't the only ones at the firm who'd been subject to his unwanted advances.

"Wait," she said, eyes focused on Katrina, "you too?" she asked, hoping she'd understand the weight of the question.

She did, without missing a beat, "oh my god, all the time," she lamented, "the day he moved to Boston is a career highlight for me," she explained.

Donna tilted her head to one side and looked at her friend, a sympathetic look spread across her face, "I'm sorry Katrina, I wish I'd known," she said.

"I'm sorry too, Donna," she said with a sincere smile.

* * *

Later that day, Donna found herself on her way to Harvey's office, ready to go home for the night. Standing in the doorframe, she found him on his couch, bent over a stack of papers, a half-full glass of scotch resting next to him.

"Hey Mister," she said as she walked into the office and joined him on the couch, "what did I tell you about drinking without me?" she joked as she took the glass of scotch from the coffee table and raised it to her lips.

He didn't respond, just sank back on the couch and let out a sigh as his hand came to rest on her knee.

"That bad of a day, huh?" she asked, passing the glass of scotch back to him.

"Just long," he admitted before taking a sip, "I talked to Connor - it's done," he explained.

"How did he take it?," she inquired gently.

"He was pissed," Harvey said bluntly, "but I told him he should settle; give the women whatever they're asking for and stop being a dick," he finished.

Donna let out a breathy laugh at his recap of the meeting before speaking again.

"I have a better idea," she said.

"Donna, what -," he started, before being interrupted by her placing a blue file folder in his lap. He picked it up and started looking through it before turning towards her, a surprised look on his face.

"Donna -," he started again, looking to her for explanation.

"Statements from me, Rachel, Katrina, and 11 other women here saying we were sexually harassed by Connor while he worked at the firm," she explained, "give this to the lawyer on the other side and steamroll that son of a bitch."

Harvey looked up at her, shaking his head slightly in amazement. "You did this today?" he asked.

"Yeah," she said, "Katrina saw Connor in your office earlier and asked what he was doing here, and it got me thinking that if he'd done stuff to Rachel and me, we probably weren't the only ones," she explained.

"Wow," he breathed, looking at the files more closely, "men can be real scumbags sometimes."

"Tell me something I don't know," she said with a laugh as she sank her body closer into his on the couch.

* * *

A week had passed and the news that not only had Connor settled the case with the women at his firm, but that'd he'd also resigned his senior partnership had Donna feeling lighter than usual, especially since the experiences she and others at the firm had with him were essential in leading to that outcome.

As she made her way towards her office, morning cup of coffee in hand, she stopped in front of her assistant's desk, her elbows coming to rest on the top of her cubicle.

"Donna!," Elaine said, greeting her enthusiastically, "what can I do for you?"

Donna smiled at her assistant before responding. She loved the easy rapport the two of them shared, and despite the fact that she was her employee, she considered the two of them to be friends. Since Elaine had started at her desk, she'd felt a responsibility to guide her, both inside and outside of the office.

"What do you say you and I grab lunch today?, Donna asked, "I could use some girl time," she said with a laugh.

"That sounds great," Elaine replied, "there's been something I've been meaning to talk to you about, actually."

"Perfect, your choice," Donna said before turning and walking towards her office. "But no sushi," she called over her shoulder, which made Elaine laugh and roll her eyes- her attempt to get her boss to try and enjoy her favorite food had, so far, been unsuccessful.

* * *

"We have a problem," Donna said later that day as she entered Harvey's office, closing the door behind her.

"Is it the fact that it's nearing 9pm and we're both still here, in the office, fully clothed?," he asked suggestively, moving towards her, "because I'd have to agree with that," he finished with a smirk and a quick kiss.

"I'm serious, Harvey," she said, moving past him and collapsing on the couch, "it's Drake Parker," she explained.

"Donna, I have no idea -," he started to say, which was met with a sigh and an eye roll from her.

"Yes you do," she started, "he's a junior partner, his office is near Katrina's. The guy with the tall hair -"

"Oh, and the weird square ties?," he finished, matching the name to the image in his brain, "Louis _hates _him," he laughed as he looked back towards Donna, "what'd he do?"

Before she spoke again, Donna stood up and moved across his office to his scotch decanter, pouring herself a fresh glass and topping his off before explaining the reason for her visit.

"Well," she said as she handed him his glass, "I had lunch with Elaine today, and she told me about some _things _that have happened with her and some of the other secretaries."

Understanding what Donna meant by 'things', he took a swig of his drink and let out a sigh, "I thought we were done with this shit with Connor," he lamented.

"By what Elaine said, this guy is worse than Connor," Donna said, taking a sip of her own drink, "he's pretty handsy with a lot of the secretaries. He even slipped something in one of their drinks at that gala a couple months ago and -," she paused, hoping he'd understand where the sentence was going.

Harvey dropped his head back on the top of the couch and let out an agitated sigh, "why didn't she tell anyone?," he asked, and Donna could tell from the tone of his voice that he was genuinely trying to understand why she'd kept it to herself.

"Well," she started to explain, "she told Elaine a couple weeks after it happened, but Elaine said they were both nervous to say anything else, since they had no reason to believe it'd be addressed."

"I wish I'd known about this sooner," he said, his voice slightly deflated.

"Me too," she agreed, "but we know now, and we need to do something about it," she said assertively.

He didn't respond immediately, but turned to face her. This was uncharted water for him, and given the sensitivity of the situation, he wasn't sure how best to handle it. He hoped that she'd suggest a solution.

After a couple seconds, she spoke again.

"I want to talk to all the women Elaine mentioned, and give them an opportunity to talk about what happened to them, if they want to," she started, "and then I think we need to fire Drake."

Harvey nodded in agreement and moved his hand to rest on her knee, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"And," she continued, "we need to make sure we don't have anyone else like him lurking around. And I want people to feel comfortable telling someone about it if something like this happens in the future," she said.

"We'll figure this out," he said, pulling her closer to him and kissing the top of her head, "you've never met an obstacle you couldn't tackle."

She let his words sink in for a couple seconds before speaking again. "Can I ask you something, and can you promise not to get mad?," she asked delicately.

"Anything," he affirmed, moving his hand to rest on top of hers.

"When Connor first called you with his case, why were you so quick to believe him?," she asked.

"Because he was a friend and I trusted him," he answered after a couple of seconds.

"Or," she continued, "was it because you saw the case as a quick win and didn't care about the other side?," she inquired.

Given the tone of her voice, he knew she wasn't asking the question to provoke him. They were having a frank conversation about a serious topic, both of them working to wrap their heads around its complexities.

He thought for a few seconds before speaking again, "I don't think it's exactly that I didn't _care_ about the other side," he rationalized, "but the facts of the case seemed black and white that I didn't really _consider _the other side," he finished.

"But yet, when I told you what happened to me you immediately believed me," she said matter-of-factly.

"But -" he tried to explain, but she quickly cut him off, "but _what_?," she started "you know me? you trust me?"

He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes, starting to understand the point she was trying to make.

"You were frustrated that that secretary never said anything about what Drake did to her," she repeated, "there's a _reason _women tend to keep this shit to ourselves. Because even where there are dozens, hundreds of witnesses, even when there is staggering evidence in support of their story, more often than not, people take the side of the man."

"Donna -" he started softly, she was getting worked up and he wanted to comfort her.

"It's fucking infuriating, Harvey," she continued, rising to her feet she began to pace the length of his office, "Brett Kavanaugh, Brock Turner, all of them get off scot free while the women are left with that emotional trauma for the rest of their lives. It's always about the guy - their career, their reputation, their future, their whatever. But what about us? Why don't people care what happens to women? _All _we want," she said with a deep sigh, "is for people to listen to us. And believe us - not because we're their daughters, or sisters, or girlfriends, or whatever - but because we're people with feelings who deserve to be treated with _respect," _she finished, quickly bringing her hand to her face to brush away a stray tear that had fallen.

As he watched her unravel in front of him, the gravity of her words hit him square in the chest. It had always frustrated him that when people assumed that Donna had gotten to where she had professionally because of her relationship with him, but as he listened to Donna, he realized that he'd only ever thought of things like that in context of her. It wasn't part of his day-to-day life like it was for her, and _that _was a luxury. He wanted to do right by Donna, and the rest of the women at the firm, but he realized it wasn't up to him - or Louis, or Alex, or any of the other guys - to decide what that meant. This was their time, and he'd follow their lead.

He stood and joined her in the center of his office, wiping away another tear that had fallen before wrapping his hands around her waist and placing a kiss on her cheek. "I love you," he said simply, pulling her closer to him.

"Thank you for not being an asshole," she responded sincerely, which brought out a breathy laugh in both of them. "Any time," he replied with a smile.

* * *

_Connor Lumsden's settlement with the women at his firm and Specter Litt Wheeler William's abrupt firing of Drake Parker set off shockwaves in the legal community, first in New York in Boston, before quickly moving elsewhere. In the months that followed, women came forward in droves - radically altering the makeup of partnerships and associate classes at law firms across the country. A couple firms were even forced to drop a name from their wall and, more often than not, a woman's name went up in place of the one that had come down in disgrace._

_Donna, with the help of Katrina and Samantha and with the full support of the rest of the name partners, made Specter Litt Wheeler Williams a workplace where women felt comfortable, empowered even, to quickly bring issues of sexual and workplace harassment to senior leadership. They knew that they'd be listened to and that the matter would be taken seriously. Donna did more than that though, she went through every one of the firm's policies - the processes for promotions and raises, salaries, and bonuses - with a fine tooth comb to make sure they were equitable. All this work did more to bolster the firm's reputation more than any gala they'd ever thrown had done. It had such an impact, in fact, that the next class of associates they hired was 52% women - the first time any firm in the city had a starting class that was majority female._

* * *

**A/N - writing this took a lot out of me. Please leave a review with your thoughts - any and all comments, thoughts, discussions welcome. Thanks for reading!**


End file.
